Former Barat College property gets closer to being reunited with Woodlands Academy

Lake Forest resident Ralph Ewart, a trustee at Woodlands Academy,told the Plan Commission 

Wednesday night,  "This is a long term plan in terms of generations, not months or years." 

                                                                                                              Credit Jim Powers

The Lake Forest Plan Commission agreed (3-2 vote) last evening to recommend to the City Council that they grant a special use permit to Woodlands Academy which will limit the combined parcels of their campus and the former Barat College campus to educational use.  Woodlands Academy indicates that this will be an extension of their special use permit and does not expect to gain possession of the property for approximately 12 months after the Old Main buidling is demolished and the property is cleaned up.  Ralph Elwart, trustee at Woodlands Academy indicated that the time frame will allow Woodlands the necessary time to conisder how to properly develop the potential blank canvas for the educational purposes they are considering.  The anonymous donor had hoped to close the deal by December 20th, however, the LF City Council will not meet until January 3, 2012. 

To read the details of the LF Plan Commission meeting held on December 14th as reported by Steve Sadin reporter for the LakeForest-LakeBluff Patch - click here  and to watch the coverage of the meeting see below.

Click here for video coverage.